


Bodyguard

by Lucifers_Trash_Stash



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Chivalry, Comfort, F/M, Fluff, One Shot, Pre-Apocalypse, Protective Merle Dixon, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 09:13:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16951200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucifers_Trash_Stash/pseuds/Lucifers_Trash_Stash
Summary: During a night shift at the gas station, Merle Dixon stands up for me against a rude customer.





	Bodyguard

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written after dealing with a shitty customer at my old place of work. While he certainly wasn't as persistent as his fic counterpart, it was really cathartic for me to write in Merle Dixon helping me out. I hope you enjoy <3

I sighed as I looked at the clock’s second hand slowly tick around the numbers. There were still a few more hours left on my shift before I could close up the gas station. It wasn’t the worst job in the world, but these closing shifts were mostly dead. There was only so much I could read of the book I brought with me before I got antsy to go home.

Almost as if on queue, the door alarm rang out to let me know a new customer had arrived. I felt a smile pull up on my lips when I saw just who had stepped out from behind the chip rack by the door so I could get a better look at him.

Merle Dixon had his signature playful smirk plastered on his face when he saw me. He was still in his work clothes with the sleeves rolled up, dirty from mechanic work.  He was a regular customer, and I saw him almost every day, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy his company. When he stopped by he’d usually stay and talk for a little bit, and I’d gotten to know him pretty well. 

Even though he had a reputation around town as being the resident bad boy that caused trouble and bar fights wherever he went, he was always friendly and respectful of me. There was a bit of shameless flirting from his end, but I never minded. I thought he was pretty cute actually, though I’d never tell him otherwise because I was too shy and he was much older than me.

“Yer boss got ya closin’ again, sugar?” he called out as he wandered towards the back of the store, looking for something to snack on.

“It’s not that bad. Just boring is all,” I said with a shrug.

“Don’t ya worry darlin’, I’ll keep ya company fer a bit. Gotta tell ya what that dumbass coworker of mine did today,” Merle said.

I smiled. Merle always liked to vent to me about that sort of thing, and he liked hearing me vent about the rude and nasty customers that walked through the door on a daily basis. It helped having someone to complain to, and the two of us managed just fine.

The bell rang again, and I straightened up and greeted the man that walked in.

“Hello again,” the man said with a smile. Oh right, I remembered him. He had come in earlier to get gas or something. He came up to the counter and asked, “USA gold lights please?”

I nodded, retrieving the cigarettes with a smile, and plugged his date of birth into the register when he presented his ID. When he swiped his card into the system, he didn’t go to type his method of payment in the reader, but instead kept smiling at me. I felt my smile falter slightly, feeling somewhat awkward and unsure of what I should do without seeming rude.

I smiled back, trying to be friendly and pointed him back to the card reader, telling him what he needed to do. He went through that fine enough. But even after his card had gone through and I told him to have a nice day, he still lingered in the spot and smiled at me.

I was trying to look everywhere but directly at his eyes at this point, feeling nervous that this guy just wasn’t getting the hint for some reason. He was free to go, what was he still doing here? I was thankful Merle was somewhere in the back of the store; I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to step in if the guy suddenly pulled out a gun or something.

“Hey, I know this sounds kind of crazy,” the guy started. I immediately felt myself tense up, knowing I was going to get that inevitable, stupid fucking question that happened every once in a blue moon. “But I was wondering if we could hang out sometime?”

Even though it was easy to say no, easy to find a polite way to tell this ass to take a hike, I still found myself frozen in my spot. I hated this feeling, like I was cornered into staying here and being subjected to this dude who didn’t know me and felt like I should go out with him because I was friendly to him. People are supposed to be friendly with each other, it doesn’t mean I want anything more, especially when I’m at work and have no out to leave this uncomfortable situation like I could if I was anywhere else.

“Sorry, I’m not interested,” I managed to sputter out, not looking him in the eye as I said it.

“Why not?” the guy pressed further.

This was a first. Usually when these jerks tried asking me out while I was at work they just shrugged it off and left to go bother someone else.

“Because I don’t know you,” I stuttered.

“Well, if we hung out, then you’d get to know me,” the guy continued to make his case.

I held my hands in place because they were beginning to shake a bit. Dammit, I hated confrontation like this. I could never control how my body immediately cowered in the face of these situations. Why couldn’t he just leave me alone? I clearly wasn’t interested!

Before I could try to search my brain for clear words to say, Merle had snuck from behind the aisle, calmly walking over with a couple of snacks. The guy swiveled his head to look at Merle, obviously unaware that anyone else was in the store before he tried to make a move on me.

Merle held his gaze with the man the entire time, not saying a word as he stared him down the closer he approached. The man instinctively stepped back a bit as Merle put his items on the counter. Merle pushed a crumpled twenty dollar bill across the counter, not once breaking eye contact. Even before I could make the change, Merle had opened up the chips and stuck one into his mouth, chewing slowly and deliberately as he raised his eyebrow at the man.

He leaned up against the counter, his back to me. Finally, Merle spoke, “What, too chicken shit to keep pestering this poor woman after she told ya she ain’t interested?”

The man didn’t respond as he turned to leave the store with a nervous expression. Before he left, Merle scowled and threw a chip at the back of his head and landed a direct hit. Merle snorted and turned his head to look back at me. “Fucking scumbag.”

Nodding at him, I tried to calm my breathing down. I held my hands flat on the counter as I slowly took deep sighs in an effort to remind myself that nothing was going to happen. That I was fine.

“Hey, yer alright sweetheart,” Merle said, making me open up my eyes to look at him. He grinned and continued, “Ya got yer bodyguard here now.”

That made me smile. Most of the time people wouldn’t come to my aid because they didn’t want to get in the middle of it. I’ve had customers yell at me for trivial things while others stood and watched. But Merle was different, he actually seemed to worry about making sure I was okay. It was a nice feeling, to say the least.

I wasn’t surprised when he insisted he stay with me until I close and then walk me back to my apartment afterwards. Even though there was hardly any chance that the guy might come back or stalk me on the way home, I honestly felt more comfortable with Merle by my side. I’d known him for a while to feel safe with him, and the fact that he enjoyed letting me go off about the whole situation when I had finally calmed down helped too.

Merle waited outside as I turned on the alarm and locked up the building. I was thankful that it was too dark for him to see me blush, because the sight of him standing there with his sleeves rolled up and his hands in his pockets was a bit too much for me.

As I led the way home, I found my arm accidentally bumping into his on a few occasions. It wasn’t that the sidewalk was too narrow to share, but because I didn’t realize I was standing so close. Every time I tried to scootch out of his personal space, I felt myself being drawn back into his stories and laughter at his own jokes.

He really did look handsome by the light of the streetlamps. Even though I had heard the same rumors as everyone else, that Merle Dixon was bad news and that I should keep away, I still found myself attracted to him. That smile and laugh of his kept my attention utterly focused on him, and I didn’t mind one bit.

As we stopped in front of my apartment, Merle gave me a lopsided grin before saying, “Well, here ya are.” He paused for a moment. “I’m kinda curious though.”

When I asked what of, he chuckled and shook his head. “Well, I don’t want to seem like an ass after what happened tonight-”

“I’d love to go out with you, Merle,” I said, interrupting him with a smile.

“Y’ain’t even know that was what I was gonna ask ya,” Merle said, raising his eyebrow at me.

“You’re not that hard to read. Besides, you’re not asking me at my place of work,” I explained. “And I’d say we both know each other well enough for me to be comfortable with you taking me out.”

Before he could say another word, I put my hands on his chest and stood on my tiptoes to place a quick peck on his scruffy cheek. “Thanks for being there for me tonight,” I said before I turned to walk up to the apartment, my face reddening as I realized how forward I’d been.

“Ya sure ya can make it up to yer apartment okay?” Merle asked. When I turned around, his hands were on his hips, smirking as he gave me a wink for good measure.

I rolled my eyes and gave him a shy smile. “I’m fine, thanks. Are you free tomorrow night or will you be too busy being a big flirt to make the time?”

“I think I can squeeze ya in,” Merle said, giving me a smile before I turned around and walked into the building.

At least tonight hadn’t been a total waste of time.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to keep up with me, check me out on tumblr @lucifers-trash-stash :D


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